This Day in Sports History: April 22
Sports in April include playoffs for the NBA and NHL seasons, the first month of MLB, The Masters, the NCAA Basketball title game, the NFL Draft, and some Grand Prix…
Sports in April include playoffs for the NBA and NHL seasons, the first month of MLB, The Masters, the NCAA Basketball title game, the NFL Draft, and some Grand Prix events. Over the years, April 22 has witnessed many notable moments and stories involving sporting legends. Here are some of them.
Unforgettable Games and Remarkable Records
Great moments in sports history from April 22 included:
- 1876: The Boston Red Caps beat the Philadelphia Athletics by a score of 6-5 in the first-ever National League baseball game.
- 1898: Cincinnati Reds pitcher Theodore Breitenstein threw a no-hitter against the Pirates.
- 1914: Babe Ruth's first professional game as a pitcher was a 6-hit, 6-0 win.
- 1945: The Toronto Maple Leafs beat the Detroit Red Wings, 2-1, for a 4-3 series win and a Stanley Cup victory.
- 1954: The NBA recognized a need to revise the rules of the game, implemented the 24-second shot clock and the team foul rules that are still in effect today.
- 1959: Yankees pitcher Whitey Ford struck out 15 batters and beat the Senators 1-0 in 14 innings.
- 1969: Heavyweight champion Joe Frazier defended his belt against Dave Zyglewicz, improving his record to 23-0 in his fourth straight title win.
- 1981: Los Angeles Dodgers rookie pitcher Fernando Valenzuela pitched his third shutout in four starts.
- 1993: Seattle Mariners pitcher Chris Basio pitched a no-hitter against the Boston Red Sox
- 1994: New York Knicks head coach Pat Riley led his team to a 125-85 win against the Milwaukee Bucks, claiming his 700th career victory as a head coach. He was the 11th coach in NBA history to reach that landmark achievement.
- 1994: Heavyweight champion Evander Holyfield went toe-to-toe with Michael Moorer, placing his IBF and WBA world titles on the line. Moorer won by majority decision to claim both belts.
- 1995: A year after heavyweight belts changed hands, they were on the line again as George Foreman took on Axel Schulz for the IBF, WBU, and Lineal championships. The fight went the distance, with Foreman coming out on top on the scorecards and retaining his belts.
- 2003: Goaltender Patrick Roy played in his final career NHL game.
- 2006: Shockingly, the IBF heavyweight title was on the line on this date once more, this time in a fight between Wladimir Klitschko and Chris Byrd. Klitschko broke the streak of decision wins by knocking Byrd out in the seventh round to win the belt.
- 2013: Manchester United faced off with Aston Villa with the Premier League title on the line. United won the game 3-0 to claim the league title for the 13th time.
- 2014: The Los Angeles Angels faced the Washington Nationals in a game highlighted by Albert Pujols and his two home runs. Those two homers counted for Pujols' 499th and 500th career home runs.
- 2018: Tennis player Rafael Nadal won the Monte Carlo Tennis Masters and extended his Open-era record for most wins at the same event with 11.
Three athletes who stood out on April 22 were Evander Holyfield, Patrick Roy, and Rafael Nadal.
Holyfield is the first undisputed champion in both cruiserweight and heavyweight divisions. Roy is widely considered one of the greatest ever for his four Stanley Cup titles (1986, 1993, 1996, 2001) and record three Conn Smythe Trophies (playoff MVP). Nadal is known as the "King of Clay." He dominated the sport with a record 14 French Open titles and 22 total Grand Slam singles titles.
